Why China is crucial to world food security

The United Nations in China would like to express its sympathy for the thousands of people who have lost lives and been affected by the earthquake which struck Southwest China on Monday.

We are deeply concerned and are closely monitoring the situation with special attention to the reports of growing numbers of additional causalities. We stand ready to support the Chinese government's efforts to provide relief assistance to the victims of this tragedy as well as to assist longer-term rehabilitation efforts in affected areas.

For us, it is very hard to predict now how bad the impact of the calamity will be and what kinds of impact it will have on China, especially at a time when the world is sliding into a food crisis.